Page 114 of Win Some Love Some
“That we’re fate,” I said, helping Roy out. “Meant to be.”
“This is getting so good,” Bethany giggled from her perch on the couch, still munching on her newly found popcorn.
“Nick, you’re really embarrassing yourself right now,” Will said.
“Nora needed to grow up,” Roy said, like he’d somehow orchestrated this whole thing. “And Nick had to open his goddamn eyes.”
“And…you bet against us?” Nora asked her mom.
“Well,” Vanessa said with a wince. “I bet against Nick, really. I’m sorry, Nick, but you just had so much to overcome. You’re more stubborn than my husband is, for sure. I was afraid maybe the window for the two of you had closed.”
“Only I was right, and your mom was wrong,” Roy said.
“Okay,” Vanessa said to him. “You’re done with that now.”
“I don’t know, I think we should get a statue made?” he said. “Or maybe we can get the Mayor to declare a town holiday?”
“You’re going to be sleeping on the couch if you keep this up,” Vanessa said.
“Wait. If Mom was wrong, what was the money about?” Nora asked.
“Well, that was an older bet,” Vanessa said.
“Much older,” Roy said.
“I bet your father that you wished on your eighteenth birthday that Nick would finally see you as a woman. He said…that’s gross, and if he does, I’ll kill him. But I was right, wasn’t I?”
Nora nodded slowly.
“Ha,” Roy laughed. “See, we’re both right.” He jumped over to his wife and wrapped her up in his arms, making her laughand tuck her head into his neck. He whispered something in her ear and she looked back, aghast, but with a smile on her face.
“There are children in the room,” she said, smacking his shoulder.
“Children!” He shouted, his eyes on Vanessa. “Get out of the room.”
Roy and Vanessa started to rock in a slow dance in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. Bethany jumped up and wiggled between them, clutching Roy’s legs.
“Will,” Vanessa said, “Play that song we like.”
Will shouted at Alexa to play an old country song and Nora and I were quickly forgotten.
“This is so seriously anti-climactic,” she muttered. “It’s like they knew about us the whole time.”
“Who cares about them?” I said, turning her to face me. “I want this. All of this. The kids. The mayhem. The laughing.” Nora’s eyes filled up with tears. “Do you still want this?” I asked.
She nodded.
“With me?”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted. It’s what I wished for on my birthday.”
“Psst.”
We turned to see Vanessa waving her hands at us over Roy’s back, shooing us to the door. “Go. While he’s distracted,” she mouthed.
I needed no other encouragement. I took my girl’s hand and I ran for the door and the future I never thought I’d have.
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